As He Is: God's True Nature: "Perception is Reality"

Perception is Reality

I want to issue a challenge to you: Are you willing to lay aside everything you know about God in order to know Him truly? (1 Peter 2:1-3) I’m not saying that everything you know about God is wrong, but the fact that you are willing to lay aside this knowledge in order to know His heart proves you are open to this teaching. Please keep this in mind, especially if some of what you’re about to read is something you’ve never heard before. Just because you’ve never heard it before doesn’t make it wrong. If you’re not getting the results you desire, then perhaps it’s because of what you believe (Proverbs 23:7). I’ll be putting all of this together and connecting some major dots in the next several weeks that I believe will help you in your relationship with the Lord.

Perception is Reality

But whom do you say that I am? [Matthew 16:15]

Here is a great truth: Your life will be a reflection of how you perceive God. Your perception/impression of God determines how you receive from Him. The primary reason your life is the way it is, is because of your perception of God; and the reason our perception is distorted is because we have not fully seen Him as He is. I want to stress the word YOU in this, because all of us have individual perceptions of God, and oftentimes, they are different than others. I can have one perception of God, but my perception of God will not affect your life until YOU make it your own. In other words, you cannot bootleg the revelation I have, which, I believe is why Jesus asked His disciples what others were saying about Him, and then He asked them, But whom do YOU say that I am?

For example, if you believe that God controls everything that happens in this world by His sovereignty, which means that God is responsible for disease, war, murder, rape, children being born addicted to drugs, etc. your impression of God will not be good.

Moreover, if you believe God’s love, blessing, power, answers to prayers are conditional in that they are dependent upon your own righteousness or holiness, then you will find yourself constantly striving to “do better” when these things are not evident in your life.

The Bible says, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue. [2 Peter 1:2-3]

This passage tells me many things, but I’ll share only two at this point. First, the grace and peace of God (including all things that pertain to life and godliness) comes through knowledge. But what kind of knowledge? This brings me to the second point: that our knowledge of God must come from the revelation of Jesus Christ, which is why the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to include the phrase and of Jesus our Lord in this passage. You can get knowledge of God from the writings of Moses and the prophets, and other sources, but this knowledge does not produce grace and peace unless it is presented in light of what Jesus taught, said, and did.

Since perceptions and impressions come from knowledge, we must seek true knowledge of God in order to have the right impression of Him. Remember… Wrong Knowledge = Wrong Faith, which produces Wrong Results. God intends His word to produce results in your life (Isaiah 55:11) so don’t be reluctant to seek wisdom for why these results are not being experienced in your life (James 1:5-8).

Paul wrote a prayer to the Ephesians that presents the very same point: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places… [Ephesians 1:17-20]

The Scripture is saying that we must first have a clear revelation and knowledge of God as revealed by Jesus in order to know the hope of his calling, the riches of the glory of his inheritance in us, and the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe. Knowing God in His fullness, which is Jesus, produces the results the Bible teaches. (Read also Ephesians 3:14-21)

God’s True Nature

God is who He is regardless of our perception of Him. His character and nature does not change. Therefore, the degree that you reflect the life of Christ is proportional to the extent of seeing Him as He is; and this perception will affect your relationship with Him.

And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. [John 1:16-18]

Although we can have knowledge of God through the Old Testament law given by Moses, the true (complete) representation of God has come only by the grace of God that is in Jesus Christ.

The Greek word translated declared is exēgeomai which means:

1) to lead out, be leader, go before

2) metaph., to draw out in narrative, unfold a teaching

a) to recount, rehearse

b) to unfold, declare

1) the things relating to God

2) used in Greek writing of the interpretation of things sacred and divine, oracles, dreams, etc.

When John writes, No man has seen God at anytime, he means that before Jesus came, no one had ever truly seen God—even though Moses had spoken to God face to face (Exodus 33:11). Because Jesus is in the bosom of the Father, He represents the heart of God—thus, His true nature is revealed through Him. This is also saying that the Old Testament law was not God’s best way of revealing Himself.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you should have known my Father also; and from henceforth you know him, and have seen him. [John 14:6-7] In this statement, He was not only declaring that the only way anyone could come to (or be in relationship with) God was by Him, but also that no one could see God truly but through Him.

The Bible says that Jesus is the brightness of his (God’s) glory and the express image of his person. [Hebrews 1:3] If we think God’s glory is awesome, Jesus is the superlative (the brightness) of God’s glory. In other words, Jesus is God’s perfection, and as the Scripture says that He is the exact image of who God would be if He were a person. (See also 1 Timothy 3:16)

The Bible says that no man can see God and live (Exodus 33:20). God is so holy and pure, that if He fully reveals Himself to any man, anything that is not of God will be destroyed. God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29) and His holy fire destroys anything that is not of Him. This is what will happen when Jesus returns in all His glory as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 where our works described as wood, hay, or stubble will be burned, but whatever is of God (described as gold, silver, or precious stones) will remain. Therefore, if we see God as He is, we will cease to exist in our present fallen state. Rather, we would be instantly transformed into the image of God (2 Corinthians 3:18). While this transformation is a current truth concerning our spirit man, this will be complete in our bodies at the day of the Resurrection when we receive glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:49-57).

Seeing God As He Is

Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [1 John 3:2]

John supports the truth of who we are in the spirit (now we are the sons of God), but it has not yet appeared what we shall fully be (in spirit, soul, and body—the complete redemption). But we know that when Jesus appears, we shall be completely transformed into His image because we shall see Him as He is. The apostle Paul supports this truth in 1 Corinthians 13:9-12: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away… For now see through a glass darkly (or dimly); but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as also I am known.

I believe each and every person at the heart level wants to represent God the best way they can. The most common method of accomplishing this has been through behavior modification or imitation of Jesus (What Would Jesus Do?). This method most often brings us back under the law of rules and regulations, and whatever change in behavior is only temporary because it has not come as a byproduct of our relationship with God—seeing Him as He is. Therefore, before presenting how we are to reflect God truly, we must first know His true nature; and when we have revelation of this truth (when He appears) we will begin to reflect Him truly.

The Bible says, But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him. [Hebrews 11:6]

God’s pleasure, or in other words, His grace and peace, are released in a person through faith because the person who comes to God must believe that He is who His word (Jesus is the Word made flesh) says He is, and that His pleasure (the rewards of grace and peace) are realized to a greater extent to those who diligently seek relationship with Him.

It would be beneficial to use the redemptive names of God to complete the phrase For he who comes to God must believe that He is__________:

Jehovah-Tsidkenu or the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)

Jehovah-Jireh or the Lord our Provider (Genesis 22:14)

Jehovah-Roi or the Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)

Jehovah-Shalom or the Lord is my Peace (Judges 6:24)

Jehovah-Nissi or the Lord is my Banner or Captain (Exodus 17:15)

Jehovah-Rapha or the Lord who Heals You (Exodus 15:26)

Jehovah-Shammah or the Lord is There (Ezekiel 48:35)

We can read about how seeing God as He is results in instant transformation in the account of Zacchaeus the tax collector.

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him; for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down, for today I must abide at your house.

And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. [Luke 19:1-10]

As you can see, when you seek to see God as He is, this results in a complete change of life, not only in salvation, but in attitude and actions. Zacchaeus went from a rich and greedy tax collector to a joyful and cheerful giver. This, my friends, can happen to you as well when you see God in His fullness, which is Jesus.

Other Articles in this series

Losing Your Religion Part 1

Losing Your Religion Part 2

Losing Your Religion Part 3